Study Focus: Eph. 1:15–23, Eph. 3:14–21, Ps. 110:1, 1 Thess. 5:16–18, Deut. 9:29, 1 Cor. 15:20–22.
Introduction: After summarizing and praising God for His plan of salvation in Christ, Paul, in Ephesians 1:15–23, assures his brothers and sisters in Ephesus that he is praying for them to continue to experience salvation through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Paul requests God the Father to give the Ephesians (1) the experience of knowing God through His revelation, (2) the hope that emanates from God’s calling and promises, and (3) the faith through which they might experience the infinite power of the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:17–19).
Christ’s power is manifested in two ways. First, we experience Christ’s power through His resurrection. We are spiritually raised to the new life in Christ here and now and have the promise of the future final resurrection for eternal life. Second, we experience Christ’s power through His ascension in that He is seated on the throne of the universe as God, our God, who blesses us from His heavenly places, that is, His heavenly sanctuary. Christ Jesus created the universe and all its physical and spiritual powers; therefore, they are all subordinate to Him. The rebellious spiritual powers that temporarily claimed dominion over the earth are also subordinate to Him.
In addition, knowing that Jesus ascended to the hall of God’s throne makes us already heirs and members of the heavenly places in Him. In Christ, all the things in the universe are ours! One day, we also physically will ascend to those heavenly places and join the universe in praising God around His throne (Rev. 4:1–4, 8–11; Rev. 5:6, 9–14; Rev. 15:2–4).
Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson highlights three major themes:
Prayers of praise and thanksgiving are essential for the life of the Christian.
For the Christian, experiencing the transformative power of Christ and of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life is indispensable.
As true Christians, by knowing and experiencing the power of Christ, we can freely live our lives in Him without fearing the rebellious powers of this world.
Part II: Commentary
“For This Reason”
Throughout his Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul uses several conclusive expressions, such as:
dia touto (Eph. 1:15, Eph. 5:17, Eph. 6:13, meaning “through,” “because of,” “on account of”),
dio (Eph. 2:11, Eph. 3:13, Eph. 4:25, Eph. 5:14, meaning “wherefore,” “on which account,” “therefore”),
oun (Eph. 4:1; Eph. 5:1, 7; Eph. 6:14, meaning “therefore,” “then”), and
toutou charin (Eph. 3:1, 14, meaning “in favor of,” “for the pleasure of,” “for the sake of,” “by reason of,” “on account of”).
In English translations, such as the NASB, these phrases are translated as “therefore” (Eph. 2:11; Eph. 3:13; Eph. 4:1, 25; Eph. 5:1, 7, 17; Eph. 6:13, 14) or “for this reason” (Eph. 1:15; Eph. 3:1, 14; Eph. 5:14). Thus, Paul first states and describes a theological reality or truth as a foundational section. Then, he develops a “therefore” section to apply these ideas to the life of the church. However, sometimes Paul uses a “therefore” or application section as the foundation section for another “application” or “therefore” section. In this way, Paul progressively expands, develops, and enriches the horizon of his thought on the gospel, the church, and Christian life.
In Ephesians 1:11–14, Paul summarizes the essence of the gospel, the platform upon which he places his “for this reason” theology (Eph. 1:15, NASB) and shows how the gospel relates to the church (Eph. 1:15–23), which is comprised of “saints” (Eph. 1:15, 18). The Christians or the saints are those who have faith in Jesus (Eph. 1:15), have “the spirit of wisdom and revelation” in knowing God (Eph. 1:17), and have been enlightened to know Christ’s calling, the inheritance He wants to give us and the superpower of His resurrection (Eph. 1:18, 19). These saints are the church, or Christ’s body (Eph. 1:22, 23). This example of Paul’s “for this reason” theology is the essence of the church.
The church is built on the gospel that Paul just described in Ephesians 1:1–15. The rest of the Epistle to the Ephesians is about the church. But this is a church that is built upon the correct understanding of the gospel, “Paul’s gospel,” as he would put it elsewhere (Rom. 2:16, Rom. 16:25, 2 Tim. 2:8). As has been noted, in Ephesus everything was defined by relating it to something else. In the cosmopolitan context of Ephesus, it was very easy to have one’s identity shaped by the Ephesian culture, by rubbing religious or philosophical elbows with other religions and philosophies. But Paul is adamant here: the foundation of the church, the identity of the church, is shaped by the gospel, by God’s gospel or plan that was established by Him before the foundation of the world and revealed now in Jesus Christ. The church, its identity, message, and mission, is not an evolutionary cultural idea. The church is the result of God’s plan, of God’s work in the world to save sinners and humanity.
Church, Revelation, and Philosophy
Paul prays for his church (Eph. 1:16, 18), thanking God for His work in it. Specifically, Paul thanks God for His work of enlightenment in the church, through His gifts of wisdom and revelation (Eph. 1:17, 18). This prayer uncovers two major aspects of the nature of the church.
First, the church is built upon God’s revelation, not human philosophy. Although Paul was well versed in philosophy (Acts 17:28), he refused to lay any philosophical stone at the foundation of the church. For him, the church was to be built, not on human wisdom and rhetoric but on the “testimony of God,” His revelation in Jesus Christ crucified, and in the “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor 2:1–5, NASB). This notion, however, does not mean there is no wisdom related to the building of the church.
On the contrary, the church is built upon wisdom, but it is “a wisdom . . . not of this age nor of the rulers of this age . . . but . . . God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood” (1 Cor. 2:6–8, NASB). That is why Paul warns the Colossians to guard against being taken “captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition . . . rather than in accordance with Christ” (Col. 2:8; see also John 1:12, 13; 1 Cor. 1:20–27; 1 Cor. 3:19; 1 Tim. 6:20, 21).
This attitude to philosophy does not imply that God, Paul, or Christianity reject logic or reason. On the contrary, reason is one of the most elevated human abilities or attributes God endowed us with when He created humans in His image. What Paul communicates here is that the church, or Christian religion, is not founded on the presuppositions and the conclusions of philosophy. Western classical philosophy and, recently, modern science are based largely on the presupposition that there is no intentional, loving, special, specific, propositional divine revelation. Rather, what Western philosophy and modern science posit is a human rational, mystical, or psychological effort to reach toward God or to a certain divine realm. This thinking is a reversal of the Christian faith.
Paul adamantly insisted that the church is not, and cannot be, the product of human philosophy or science, or their presuppositions and conclusions. The church is the result of God’s direct intervention in our world and revelation in Christ Jesus and of God’s specific revelation through the Scriptures. Through Christ and through Scripture, God called humanity back to Himself and to His kingdom. When humans respond to this call, they become God’s church established in, and on, the direct work of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit in us. For this reason, a successful philosophy will construct its worldview and presuppositions in reference to divine revelation.
Second, the church is not a two-tiered society, comprised of a philosophical, enlightened, intellectual elite on one side and simple and ignorant people on the other. Rather, in the church, all church members are enlightened and are recipients of God’s revelation and wisdom. This idea is the Christian foundation for the concepts of grace and unity. The saved, or saints, did not receive salvation and revelation because of special insights, abilities, or efforts, but because of God’s grace, for it is God who reveals Himself to all humans and calls them to salvation. All church members inherit the same blessings! All of them receive the same revelation, the same salvation, and the same mission. That is why the church is one and not divided into two, three, or four classes or tiers.
Fear of, and Victory Over, the Powers
Our world is in a constant search for power. If we think of power as energy, we see that the sources of energy are causing constant tensions, and even wars, in our world.
But the world is looking for more than sources of energy. The world is looking especially for spiritual sources of powers, powers that will give lifelong success, dominance or peace, control, and fulfillment. As we approach the end of sinful human history, many people look for power in demonic sources, consciously or unconsciously. These demonic sources are enslaving and destructive powers. Millions of people do, in fact, realize that these demonic powers are enslaving, but they cannot liberate themselves from these powers. Many do not even know of any alternative power. They are simply afraid of these demonic powers.
Many other people are afraid of inanimate powers, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, or black holes. Some are afraid of the powers of the position of the celestial bodies. Some people are afraid of the power of the personal appetite or of inner anger. More recently, artificial intelligence has become a source of fear for many.
But Paul insists that Christ’s power is infinitely superior to all these powers. Christ created the entire universe with all its powers and sources of energy, so all these forces are under His control. He created us, and He can restore us and help us control ourselves and whatever inner problems we are afraid of. Christ created all the angelic beings, a part of whom rebelled against God and turned demonic, attempting to control the world; but God defeated their rebellion during His first coming and will ultimately destroy their power and them forever at the end of the great controversy. Even now, these demonic entities are defeated and cannot obtain any victory over us when we are in Christ Jesus.
For this reason, the Seventh-day Adventist Church felt the need to express this gospel truth in the form of fundamental belief 11, titled “Growing in Christ”:
“By His death on the cross Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil. He who subjugated the demonic spirits during His earthly ministry has broken their power and made certain their ultimate doom. Jesus’ victory gives us victory over the evil forces that still seek to control us, as we walk with Him in peace, joy, and assurance of His love. Now the Holy Spirit dwells within us and empowers us. Continually committed to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaninglessness of our former way of life. In this new freedom in Jesus, we are called to grow into the likeness of His character, communing with Him daily in prayer, feeding on His Word, meditating on it and on His providence, singing His praises, gathering together for worship, and participating in the mission of the Church. We are also called to follow Christ’s example by compassionately ministering to the physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of humanity. As we give ourselves in loving service to those around us and in witnessing to His salvation, His constant presence with us through the Spirit transforms every moment and every task into a spiritual experience.” (Available from https://www.adventist.org/growing-in-christ.)
Part III: Life Application
1. Some Seventh-day Adventist Church buildings are closed for much of the week. In contrast, the divine worship services on the Sabbath days are sometimes agglomerated with program items that allow only for a limited time for individual or corporate prayer. Encourage your students, together with their local church, to develop a plan to transform the church, both as a congregation and as a building, into a house or space for continuous prayer for all the community and visitors throughout the week.
2. Invite your students to think of ways that their families and church may become centers where people in the community could experience the power of Christ. How could you help the people in your community overcome the various fears that hold them in bondage to the powers of the universe, technology, self, or other humans, as well as to demonic powers?
3. Ask class members to imagine that they each have been invited to preach on fundamental belief 11. What three ideas would constitute the main points of their sermon?
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Key Text: Ephesians 1:19, 20
Study Focus: Eph. 1:15–23, Eph. 3:14–21, Ps. 110:1, 1 Thess. 5:16–18, Deut. 9:29, 1 Cor. 15:20–22.
Introduction: After summarizing and praising God for His plan of salvation in Christ, Paul, in Ephesians 1:15–23, assures his brothers and sisters in Ephesus that he is praying for them to continue to experience salvation through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Paul requests God the Father to give the Ephesians (1) the experience of knowing God through His revelation, (2) the hope that emanates from God’s calling and promises, and (3) the faith through which they might experience the infinite power of the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:17–19).
Christ’s power is manifested in two ways. First, we experience Christ’s power through His resurrection. We are spiritually raised to the new life in Christ here and now and have the promise of the future final resurrection for eternal life. Second, we experience Christ’s power through His ascension in that He is seated on the throne of the universe as God, our God, who blesses us from His heavenly places, that is, His heavenly sanctuary. Christ Jesus created the universe and all its physical and spiritual powers; therefore, they are all subordinate to Him. The rebellious spiritual powers that temporarily claimed dominion over the earth are also subordinate to Him.
In addition, knowing that Jesus ascended to the hall of God’s throne makes us already heirs and members of the heavenly places in Him. In Christ, all the things in the universe are ours! One day, we also physically will ascend to those heavenly places and join the universe in praising God around His throne (Rev. 4:1–4, 8–11; Rev. 5:6, 9–14; Rev. 15:2–4).
Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson highlights three major themes:
Prayers of praise and thanksgiving are essential for the life of the Christian.
For the Christian, experiencing the transformative power of Christ and of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life is indispensable.
As true Christians, by knowing and experiencing the power of Christ, we can freely live our lives in Him without fearing the rebellious powers of this world.
Part II: Commentary
“For This Reason”
Throughout his Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul uses several conclusive expressions, such as:
In English translations, such as the NASB, these phrases are translated as “therefore” (Eph. 2:11; Eph. 3:13; Eph. 4:1, 25; Eph. 5:1, 7, 17; Eph. 6:13, 14) or “for this reason” (Eph. 1:15; Eph. 3:1, 14; Eph. 5:14). Thus, Paul first states and describes a theological reality or truth as a foundational section. Then, he develops a “therefore” section to apply these ideas to the life of the church. However, sometimes Paul uses a “therefore” or application section as the foundation section for another “application” or “therefore” section. In this way, Paul progressively expands, develops, and enriches the horizon of his thought on the gospel, the church, and Christian life.
In Ephesians 1:11–14, Paul summarizes the essence of the gospel, the platform upon which he places his “for this reason” theology (Eph. 1:15, NASB) and shows how the gospel relates to the church (Eph. 1:15–23), which is comprised of “saints” (Eph. 1:15, 18). The Christians or the saints are those who have faith in Jesus (Eph. 1:15), have “the spirit of wisdom and revelation” in knowing God (Eph. 1:17), and have been enlightened to know Christ’s calling, the inheritance He wants to give us and the superpower of His resurrection (Eph. 1:18, 19). These saints are the church, or Christ’s body (Eph. 1:22, 23). This example of Paul’s “for this reason” theology is the essence of the church.
The church is built on the gospel that Paul just described in Ephesians 1:1–15. The rest of the Epistle to the Ephesians is about the church. But this is a church that is built upon the correct understanding of the gospel, “Paul’s gospel,” as he would put it elsewhere (Rom. 2:16, Rom. 16:25, 2 Tim. 2:8). As has been noted, in Ephesus everything was defined by relating it to something else. In the cosmopolitan context of Ephesus, it was very easy to have one’s identity shaped by the Ephesian culture, by rubbing religious or philosophical elbows with other religions and philosophies. But Paul is adamant here: the foundation of the church, the identity of the church, is shaped by the gospel, by God’s gospel or plan that was established by Him before the foundation of the world and revealed now in Jesus Christ. The church, its identity, message, and mission, is not an evolutionary cultural idea. The church is the result of God’s plan, of God’s work in the world to save sinners and humanity.
Church, Revelation, and Philosophy
Paul prays for his church (Eph. 1:16, 18), thanking God for His work in it. Specifically, Paul thanks God for His work of enlightenment in the church, through His gifts of wisdom and revelation (Eph. 1:17, 18). This prayer uncovers two major aspects of the nature of the church.
First, the church is built upon God’s revelation, not human philosophy. Although Paul was well versed in philosophy (Acts 17:28), he refused to lay any philosophical stone at the foundation of the church. For him, the church was to be built, not on human wisdom and rhetoric but on the “testimony of God,” His revelation in Jesus Christ crucified, and in the “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor 2:1–5, NASB). This notion, however, does not mean there is no wisdom related to the building of the church.
On the contrary, the church is built upon wisdom, but it is “a wisdom . . . not of this age nor of the rulers of this age . . . but . . . God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood” (1 Cor. 2:6–8, NASB). That is why Paul warns the Colossians to guard against being taken “captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition . . . rather than in accordance with Christ” (Col. 2:8; see also John 1:12, 13; 1 Cor. 1:20–27; 1 Cor. 3:19; 1 Tim. 6:20, 21).
This attitude to philosophy does not imply that God, Paul, or Christianity reject logic or reason. On the contrary, reason is one of the most elevated human abilities or attributes God endowed us with when He created humans in His image. What Paul communicates here is that the church, or Christian religion, is not founded on the presuppositions and the conclusions of philosophy. Western classical philosophy and, recently, modern science are based largely on the presupposition that there is no intentional, loving, special, specific, propositional divine revelation. Rather, what Western philosophy and modern science posit is a human rational, mystical, or psychological effort to reach toward God or to a certain divine realm. This thinking is a reversal of the Christian faith.
Paul adamantly insisted that the church is not, and cannot be, the product of human philosophy or science, or their presuppositions and conclusions. The church is the result of God’s direct intervention in our world and revelation in Christ Jesus and of God’s specific revelation through the Scriptures. Through Christ and through Scripture, God called humanity back to Himself and to His kingdom. When humans respond to this call, they become God’s church established in, and on, the direct work of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit in us. For this reason, a successful philosophy will construct its worldview and presuppositions in reference to divine revelation.
Second, the church is not a two-tiered society, comprised of a philosophical, enlightened, intellectual elite on one side and simple and ignorant people on the other. Rather, in the church, all church members are enlightened and are recipients of God’s revelation and wisdom. This idea is the Christian foundation for the concepts of grace and unity. The saved, or saints, did not receive salvation and revelation because of special insights, abilities, or efforts, but because of God’s grace, for it is God who reveals Himself to all humans and calls them to salvation. All church members inherit the same blessings! All of them receive the same revelation, the same salvation, and the same mission. That is why the church is one and not divided into two, three, or four classes or tiers.
Fear of, and Victory Over, the Powers
Our world is in a constant search for power. If we think of power as energy, we see that the sources of energy are causing constant tensions, and even wars, in our world.
But the world is looking for more than sources of energy. The world is looking especially for spiritual sources of powers, powers that will give lifelong success, dominance or peace, control, and fulfillment. As we approach the end of sinful human history, many people look for power in demonic sources, consciously or unconsciously. These demonic sources are enslaving and destructive powers. Millions of people do, in fact, realize that these demonic powers are enslaving, but they cannot liberate themselves from these powers. Many do not even know of any alternative power. They are simply afraid of these demonic powers.
Many other people are afraid of inanimate powers, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, or black holes. Some are afraid of the powers of the position of the celestial bodies. Some people are afraid of the power of the personal appetite or of inner anger. More recently, artificial intelligence has become a source of fear for many.
But Paul insists that Christ’s power is infinitely superior to all these powers. Christ created the entire universe with all its powers and sources of energy, so all these forces are under His control. He created us, and He can restore us and help us control ourselves and whatever inner problems we are afraid of. Christ created all the angelic beings, a part of whom rebelled against God and turned demonic, attempting to control the world; but God defeated their rebellion during His first coming and will ultimately destroy their power and them forever at the end of the great controversy. Even now, these demonic entities are defeated and cannot obtain any victory over us when we are in Christ Jesus.
For this reason, the Seventh-day Adventist Church felt the need to express this gospel truth in the form of fundamental belief 11, titled “Growing in Christ”:
“By His death on the cross Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil. He who subjugated the demonic spirits during His earthly ministry has broken their power and made certain their ultimate doom. Jesus’ victory gives us victory over the evil forces that still seek to control us, as we walk with Him in peace, joy, and assurance of His love. Now the Holy Spirit dwells within us and empowers us. Continually committed to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaninglessness of our former way of life. In this new freedom in Jesus, we are called to grow into the likeness of His character, communing with Him daily in prayer, feeding on His Word, meditating on it and on His providence, singing His praises, gathering together for worship, and participating in the mission of the Church. We are also called to follow Christ’s example by compassionately ministering to the physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of humanity. As we give ourselves in loving service to those around us and in witnessing to His salvation, His constant presence with us through the Spirit transforms every moment and every task into a spiritual experience.” (Available from https://www.adventist.org/growing-in-christ.)
Part III: Life Application
1. Some Seventh-day Adventist Church buildings are closed for much of the week. In contrast, the divine worship services on the Sabbath days are sometimes agglomerated with program items that allow only for a limited time for individual or corporate prayer. Encourage your students, together with their local church, to develop a plan to transform the church, both as a congregation and as a building, into a house or space for continuous prayer for all the community and visitors throughout the week.
2. Invite your students to think of ways that their families and church may become centers where people in the community could experience the power of Christ. How could you help the people in your community overcome the various fears that hold them in bondage to the powers of the universe, technology, self, or other humans, as well as to demonic powers?
3. Ask class members to imagine that they each have been invited to preach on fundamental belief 11. What three ideas would constitute the main points of their sermon?